Obama and the Gays: A Political Marriage

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals grants Obama administration's request to resurrect 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' while they defend the law in court...
In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Chicago-based journalist Tracy Baim about her new book “Obama and the Gays: A Political Marriage”. This must-read book provides a collaborative perspective of our LGBT community’s love-hate relationship with the Obama administration. When asked what her inspiration was for writing the book, Baim stated, “ I’ve read a lot of books and articles about Obama in the last few years. Especially in the last year a lot has come out on a national level that really do a good job looking back at Obama on a general level. But pretty much almost entirely ignore the gay movement in Chicago as well as nationally and the role they played in electing him to the senate and president. I felt there was a big gap out there and while it may seem like a periphery issue to some people that gay movement actually did play a pretty pivotal role in the democratic primary in 2008 especially in his US senate primary. I felt that that was lost to history just like the gay role for Clinton’s campaign or other campaigns were also forgotten. I felt ‘Well who better to do it than people in Chicago as well as gay movement writers, activists and bloggers to write about it."

Baim is joined by some of the most respected LGBT journalists, bloggers and activists from around the US. The book includes articles by Chuck Colbert, Lisa Keen, Karen Ocamb, Bob Roehr and others; essays by Wayne Besen, Sean Cahill, John D'Emilio, Kerry Eleveld, Rod McCullom, the Reverend Irene Monroe, Michelangelo Signorile, Pam Spaulding, Timothy Stewart-Winter, Andrew Tobias and Phill Wilson as well as dozens of interviews with Chicago and national gay movement leaders. The book presents an in-depth look at Obama's trajectory on gay issues and is now available.
For More Info: ObamaandtheGays.com

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GOP Gay Activist Speaks OUT on DADT

UPDATE: 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Continual Saga Read More….
In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with R. Clarke Cooper, Executive Director of the Log Cabin Republicans. In the case of Log Cabin Republicans v. United States of America Federal Judge Virginia Phillips ruled “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” unconstitutional and refused to grant a stay to the Obama Justice Department while they appeal. Now The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has granted the Obama administration's request for a temporary stay. When asked about this temporary stay Cooper stated, “It’s a temporary stay which means what The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has granted to Obama’s justice department is saying ‘We are seeking a freeze on a freeze.’ So where the injunction froze discharges and discharge process the justice department came back and said ‘just not yet, we want more time to further our case.” Clarke continued, “For over eight days the armed forces not only survived but thrived without the burden of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and we don’t see this decision as anything but a minor setback or bump in the road. We will certainly go further and we will make our case and we will be sure that our evidence will win the day. If we have to go to the Supreme Court we will.”
R. Clarke Cooper is an Army Reserve officer and served in Iraq. We also discussed what advise Clarke has for gay and lesbian servicemembers currently serving in the military during this temporary stay. We will have the second part of this interview addressing DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, which was found unconstitutional by a Federal Judge in Boston which the Obama Administration is also appealing and more in the upcoming weeks.
For More Info: www.logcabin.org

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Global Gay Minister Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Steve Parelli, Executive Director of Other Sheep, a multicultural ecumenical Christian ministry working worldwide for the full inclusion of LGBT people of faith within their respective faith traditions. This past summer Parelli and his spouse Jose Ortiz traveled to India & China for Other Sheep. Steve shares his experience about meeting with our LGBT community in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Sanya, Hainan and Beijing China; then with LGBT religious groups in Bangalore, Trivandrum, Alleppey, Cochin, India. He also provides an update about the status of the bill that could impose the death penalty and imprisonment on our LGBT community in Uganda.

Since Parelli is based in the Bronx, New York we asked what his reaction was to the recent horrific gay bashing in his city. Parelli stated, “I feel those who bash gay people have a sense of insecurity. They lack any kind of identity about their own sexual orientation or who they are to have to bash anyone indicates that the person is troubled somehow. Definitely the gay basher needs help, he needs some kind of reform, education and I think society needs to address that.”

Steve and his partner Jose were legally married in Sacramento, California, August 25, 2008. Section 3 of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, was found unconstitutional by a Federal Judge in Boston. The Obama Administration is appealing this decision. When asked what his thoughts are about this development Parelli stated, “Marriage is marriage; whether it’s with same gender couples or opposite gender people. Marriage is still marriage and DOMA itself was an unjust political move to garnish conservative votes. DOMA is just unjust and it really does not stand today among the decisions we are seeing regarding what is just for same gender couples to marry.”
For More Info: othersheep.org

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New York Gay Activist Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Cathy Marino-Thomas, President of the Board of Marriage Equality New York. Recently there’s been some appalling gay bashings in New York City. Marino-Thomas eloquently addresses this as well as the fact that LGBTQ teens are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Over the last month, numerous teenagers have taken their own lives after facing bullying incidents. When asked how we can turn this around and send out a positive message to our LGBTQ kids Marino-Thomas stated, “I’ve been mourning these kids. It’s just devastating what’s going on. We are the adults in this community. We must find a way to reach out to these kids who are just figuring stuff out. We need to be visible, we need to be good positive role models. We need to show them that there is life beyond the coming out process and with or without your family’s acceptance you are a valid individual that can lead a good and positive life. We as the adults need to take charge of this. We need to put ourselves out there and let these kids see that. We must provide hope.”

Founded in 1998, Marriage Equality New York is the oldest organization in the state of New York to advocate full and equal marriage for same-gender couples. A grassroots, not-for-profit organization, MENY and its dedicated volunteers are devoted to ending discrimination in civil marriage through education, awareness and media campaigns, political actions, and coalition building. Marriage Equality New York is also the founding chapter of Marriage Equality USA, the national organization with chapters in California, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Join MENY as they travel from all over New York State to meet their Senators in Albany to educate them on why marriage equality matters! In 2011 there will be freshman and senior senators to work on and to push ALL senators to get this legislation to a vote. Be part of that change!
For More Info: meny.us

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Gay Activist Charlotte Robinson Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Rick Andreoli, Editor in Chief of gay.com turns the tables on Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ to learn more about her and the history behind this significant LGBT media source. When asked about the inspiration behind OUTTAKE VOICES™ Robinson Stated, “When gay marriage became legal in Massachusetts in 2004, I was really disappointed at the lack of mainstream media coverage of our LGBT issues. I think it’s very important to provide a place where people can come and listen to what we have to say and who we are.”

Robinson has interviewed over 100 politicians and celebrities since launching OUTTAKE VOICES™ in December 2008. Guests Include: Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin; Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD; Gay Activist Cleve Jones and comedians Kate Clinton and Margaret Cho— to name a few. Politics and entertainment provide a unique blend of conversation for this interview series. Many guests come on OUTTAKE VOICES™ as a dress rehearsal before they appear on Rachael Maddow or Hardball with Chris Mathews and similar shows. Others to promote a movie, book or concert and find themselves going beyond the usual fluff promotional type-interview as they passionately express their views on LGBT civil rights.

When asked about the motivation behind OUTTAKE VOICES™ Charlotte added, “There’s a lot of gratification from doing this. Every year we interview Trevor Project's Charles Robbins to promote the Cracked XMAS Event to help prevent LGBTQ teen suicide and every day we have people listening to this interview…. Also, we’re a Google News source which allows us to compete with mainstream media. We have over 10,000 subscribers to our iTunes series and new people discovering us everyday from around the world. We want to expand OUTTAKE VOICES™. We’re just looking for the right media partner and sponsors so we can reach a larger global audience.”
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